Marquez could be only the third rider to win three races in one country in the 64-year history of Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Marquez, a rookie, won the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas on April 21 at Austin, Texas, and the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix on July 21 at Monterey, Calif.

Jorge Lorenzo won three races in Spain in 2010, and Casey Stoner repeated that feat in 2011.

That feat would be another of the many firsts this season for Repsol Honda Team rider Marquez, 20. He became the youngest premier-class winner in Grand Prix history with his first career victory at Austin.

Motorcycles on Meridian to roar downtown: Indianapolis will become the epicenter of motorcycle racing and motorcycle culture this weekend, as other bike-related events besides the Red Bull Indianapolis GP at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are taking place.

Motorcycles on Meridian is a free motorcycle and motorcycle culture street festival from 6 p.m.-midnight Friday and 4 p.m.-midnight Saturday in downtown Indianapolis that features thousands of riders parking their machines along Meridian Street from Monument Circle to South Street.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will have a major presence in the 125 S. Meridian Street parking lot, including interviews with MotoGP star Ben Spies, AMA Pro standout Elena Myers and other riders, giveaways and other promotions.

Other attractions include the Red Bull Fire Truck mobile DJ stand and a Kilroys Bar & Grill unit at the corner of Georgia and South Meridian.

Ultimate party at Moto Midway: The Red Bull Indianapolis GP will feature one of the best parties of the summer all weekend at the new Moto Midway, located in the IMS infield.

The Moto Midway will host an exciting lineup of live concerts covering the rock and electronic dance music spectrum, including artists 3LAU, Space Capone, Guns 4 Roses, DJ Orion and many more. Also featured on stage will be the Riders For Health auction Friday, Aug. 16 featuring every MotoGP class rider and Rider Chats Saturday, Aug. 17 with top riders from Honda and Yamaha.

Fans also can converge on the Social Media Garage located in Garage 12NE in Gasoline Alley all weekend. The free social media hub will feature rider visits, tweet-ups and much more. The Social Media Garage is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16 and Saturday, Aug. 17 and 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18.

Pit Walkabout: Motorcycle racing fans can get an up-close look at the exotic prototype motorcycles of MotoGP that will race at nearly 210 mph during the Red Bull Indianapolis GP during the Pit Walkabout at 5:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17.Any ticket holder Saturday can walk pit lane and look into the garages as MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 teams prepare their bikes for Race Day on Sunday.

Ride supports military veterans: Wish For Our Heroes again will host "Ride 4 Our Heroes," a motorcycle ride Saturday, Aug. 17 across Indianapolis to support veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces that will include a lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway circuit during the Red Bull Indianapolis GP.

Participating riders will register at noon Saturday at Indianapolis Southside Harley-Davidson at 4930 Southport Crossing Place in Indianapolis. Participating riders then will ride to IMS, where they can watch on-track activities that afternoon before taking a lap around the IMS course and then ride to Motorcycles on Meridian in downtown Indianapolis that evening.

Registration is $60. Every participant will receive a ticket Saturday and Sunday to the Red Bull Indianapolis GP, with another ticket for those days donated to a U.S. service member. Couples can ride on the same bike for an additional $40 fee.All riders must wear a helmet to enter IMS and during the track lap.

Wish For Our Heroes, based in Noblesville, Ind., is national charity dedicated to assisting military members facing hardship. For more information on Ride 4 Our Heroes or other ways to help a service member in need, visit www.wish4ourheroes.org.

Double duty: Shelina Moreda is the only rider competing in more than one class this weekend in the Red Bull Indianapolis GP, as she is racing in the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series and the FIM eRoadRacing World Cup.

The two bikes could not be more different. Moreda's Harley-Davidson XR1200 is powered by a gasoline engine that emits a loud rumble, while her Brammo Empulse TTX is powered by electric batteries and emits a unique whirring sound.Moreda, from Petaluma, Calif., became the first woman to race at motorcycle at IMS when she competed in the Harley-Davidson series in 2011 at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP.

AMA star Myers to add commentary: AMA Pro standout racer Elena Myers will provide commentary and analysis on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Public Address during MotoGP and Moto2 practice sessions Friday, Aug. 16 at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP.Myers, 19, from Discovery Bay, Calif., became the first woman to win an AMA Pro race when she triumphed in the SuperSport event in 2010 at Sonoma Raceway. She followed that with a SuperSport victory in 2012 at Daytona International Speedway, becoming the first woman to win a motorsports event at Daytona.Myers rides a Triumph in the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike class this season.

Red Bull Air Force landing at IMS: The Red Bull Indianapolis GP will feature a performance Sunday, Aug. 18 from the Red Bull Air Force - a team assembled from the most accomplished and experienced skydivers, B.A.S.E. jumpers and paragliders on the planet.

Three team members - Miles Daisher, Clint Clawson and Charles Bryan - will perform a skydive, jumping from far above the track donning wing suits. These are special jumpsuits that shape the human body into an airfoil, creating lift and, with it, "human flight," and float across the sky before pulling their parachutes and landing on the track.

The Red Bull Air Force is scheduled to land at 1:35 p.m. Sunday during pre-race ceremonies for the MotoGP race.

Get a grip: Exotic MotoGP prototype motorcycles will reach nearly 210 mph on the front straightaway at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Red Bull Indianapolis GP, while riders will lean the bikes at 60 degrees in some of the 16 corners on the 2.621-mile road course at the Speedway.

An area of rubber the size of a credit card connects each Bridgestone tire on a MotoGP tire to the asphalt when a rider is at full lean in a corner.

New-look qualifying: MotoGP qualifying will have a new look Saturday, Aug. 17 during the Red Bull Indianapolis GP, with two sessions determining the starting grid for the 27-lap race Sunday.

The new system places more importance on performance during practice sessions Friday at Saturday morning.

Combined times from practice sessions will determine participation in the final qualifying session. The 10 quickest riders will advance automatically in the second qualifying session, which starts at 2:35 p.m.

All other riders will participate in the first qualifying session that starts at 2:10 p.m. Saturday. The two quickest riders in that session will advance to session two, in which 12 riders will compete for the top 12 starting spots on the grid.

The riders not among the two quickest in the first qualifying session will occupy grid positions 13 and above, according to their times in the first session.